


The sad note on the third string

by OliviaStone



Category: Power Rangers Samurai
Genre: Angst, Gen, Sad and Beautiful
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:08:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27655259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OliviaStone/pseuds/OliviaStone
Summary: Diyu-centric oneshots after her monster transformation.
Relationships: Dekker/ Diyu
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I loved this show as a kid, and thought I'll add to the archive site with my very own story, and on my top five most interesting characters on the show came up Diyu.

She finishes the note but doesn't play any further, had it been any other Nelock she couldn't have ignored them and continued playing, but because it's Master Xandred; the most feared Nelock, who claimed her and brought her here; Diyu, let's herself be interupted. 

"What is it?" Not snappish but polite; head bowed in her humble sitting position, on a mat that had been laid out for her just outside his private chambers. 

There is a dry grass curtain acting as a door, so she doesn't know how he is on the other side, pleased or displeased; but she images him lying on his back, on his bed or another mat on the floor; and when he repeats himself he sounds the calmest she's heared him since they met; eyes most likely closed.

"This song? It's the same you played yesterday." He says, correctly, and she's a little surprised he payed that much attention.

Music was to him a lullaby, so what did it matter if it was the same each night as long as it brought a peaceful, headache-less, sleep?.

"It is. The Burning Temple, its called." A story about how a king sent his army to war on the prediction of a prophet, and once proved false and the army defeated, the king ordered him to be burnt in the temple of his god.

Truely depressing stuff.

She has played it three days straight, the same song he found her playing and had loved so much, too afraid to change it to something he wouldn't love... But it was getting dreadfully dull.

"Do you know any others?"

She is supposed to be insulted by the little confidence in that question, but she could see how he reached the conclusion that she only knew one song, if it was all she had played for him. 

"Many, My Lord." Still she doesn't play. 

She does know a lot of songs, and their many versions, but she can't decide on one; she waits for him to choose and that way she doesn't have to worry about making a bad selection. 

"Play them then." He commands, an inpatient king who detested servents that hesitate to carry out his bidding. 

"But what would you like?. The kinds of music are many and varied, my harmonium alone can play 500- all of which I know," she adds with some pride. ",but none do I know to please you."

"How will you know which please me if you never play them?". 

He asks shortly, the wood on his side creaks, and on instinct she clutches at ye spine of her instrument, straight and waiting, but he could have been merely changing positions because there isn't anything more.

"Play. Now"

And she does. 

He doesn't like the ones celebrating victory or merry festivities, or even a normal lullaby. She starts another song, just as tragic and with a high drawl as the first; it went with a hymn she remembers about a god who wonders the earth, cast from the heavens for loving a goddess he couldn't hope to keep; and he loves it so much he lets her play it another day more before asking again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONFU`US Is an OC, probably the only thing i come close to owning in this fic. He's a Nelock with two faces, he spins and changes like a bipolar person to confuse his enemy, and can change human personalities to their opposites.

"So YOU are the string player?" 

This Nelock is an inquisitive one, while he had spoke to her master he had been all questions, and Octaru had had to break every sentence down to the simplest degree. It had annoyed Xandred and she understood why he had her play through out the meeting. 

"No." She says while holding onto the harmonium she played so skillfully, and that she played right infront of him, moments before Xandred retreated to his chambers. "No, I'm just filling in for her while she swims in the Zanzu." 

"Oh?" A question is on his frozen face, and she very nearly rolls her own stiff eyes, because sacassim is another thing that must be explained and she has none of Octaru's patience. 

"I AM the music maker," and before he asks,"I was lying before. It was a joke." 

He laughs forcefully, not really getting it. " A good 'joke?' too." 

She rises from the mat she sat on during the rather short but frustrating meeting, understanding why Xandred had so quickly left the idiot for his room, and planing to go for her own.But he calls her attention. 

"Wait, lets put the jokes aside." 

And something strange happens, his head spins independently from the rest of his body, and when it stops a more somber expression faces her, in that moment he is less a hideous idiot and more Nelock. 

"Your music is said to be curing the Master's headaches. As I heared you play I found myself being soothed aswell, and truely your skill fly past music to the magic, Art unlike anything else. Thank you."

She nearly arches a brow at his wording, where was the bumbling stuttering fool?. Had he purposely played idiot just to upset Xandred, just to mess with them?. 

"You're very welcome." She hadn't played for him but compliments were compliments, Xandred normally tells her to start by grunting and stop by snoring, no appreciation is ever expressed. 

"I don't suppose you'd hate to play for another audience- nothing too big and you can decide on the time and place. Another of my closest friends, he hasn't been well since he's defeat by the Rangers and-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" 

Came in Octaru rushing, and he stands between Diyu and the Nelock as he answers like this was an offer for him. Diyu places her hands on her hips, annoyed. But she doesn't stop him. What gave Octaru the right to speak for her was the same reason he was the Master's adviser: he was knowledgeable, loyal, and honest. He spotted a bad idea coming from the Human World. 

"Diyu is to play for the Master, our Lord alone is worthy of the pleasure."

She almost smiles, but wasn't it the other way, SHE worthy of HIS favour?. The Nelock nods, but his stare down with Octaru doesn't completely agree. 

" Yes. Yes. Great is our Lord who deserves best.. but what would a normal Nelock give to be deserving aswell? I would pay well..." 

Octaru smacks the Nelock at the knee harshly with his staff, " you'll pay with your head if Xandred hears you trying to steal away His minion, do you not know she is a sailor?" 

When she asks, after the Nelock had left, what Octaru meant by this he will tell her that very few are allowed on board of the ship as she and he were; to be a sailor is to be honored above the masses, held highest by the Master and most importantly, held by the Master ALONE. 

At the very word 'sailor', the Nelock's head spins and his expression is back to bewildered stupidity, he was a two-faced mask, one the opposite of the other and his changes back and forth are enough to make her dizzy.

"I-I didnt know...I would never have... And to think what I was asking...please, please do not tell Xandred...he will not forgive me ..." 

Stutters the idiot and Diyu almost snorts at how pathetic he's being by actually kneeling...then again, Xandred can be very terrifying. Octaru pauses to drag out the grovelling, letting the Nelock kiss both their feet before giving in. 

"I am willing to o-oh-overlook your ignorant mistake. But Dont forget yourself again. And, CONFUS`US, I need you to pass the word around so no one else will repeat this error. There is a new crew member aboard the ship : Diyu the String Striker."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toxie is an OC Nighlock. Just picture a feminine scropion themed monster, who wears red robes and thinks too highly of herself. She's the second Nighlock Diyu meets after confusus, ( not counting Octaru and Xandred, who are not OC's)

Diyu stands on shaky knees, trembling in rage and numbing pain; the She-Scorpion had stung her several times now and her body couldn't take much more; she would collapse soon. She could feel her energy drain away as poisions enters her slowly and yet she fights on.

"Give me back my harmonium!" she demands weakly at the Nighlock meters away from her, who hold and plays with the object they fight over as if to mock her. 

Toxie is as the name suggests: dangerous and playful, poison with a cheeky nickname and too pretty a face. Her mask is a vicious smirk, tight red robes of cloth wrap around a provocative body, her dark skin blends with the shiny shell of a scorpion, with a long tail to go. Beautiful, monstrous... Just like Diyu. 

Toxie angles the harmonium on her hip, and runs her nails on the strings, not hitting them quite right; she still twirls and dances as if she played a joyous song so opposite to Diyu who looked like death was playing her a melody. 

"I only want to play a song," Toxie says, her tail swishing and splashing the water unconsciously. "Just once. For master Xandred. You've played for him long enough...why won't you let me have a turn?". 

She sounds so bitter, and Diyu is reminded of the sneers and snide remarks, how even on their first meeting Toxie had been abhorrent towards her; it seemed Xandred's presence was the reason she hadn't outright attacked the other Nighlock, and in his absence( along with Octaru, both of them off to the human world with Diyu alone on the ship) she finally could pounce. 

Before Diyu came along the other female had been on the run in to win membership on the ship, one of the very few villainesses and a strong one at that, however that all changed when Diyu took the last space... A place that Toxie had felt promised to her. Diyu became a Sailor, a favourite... And so easy and quickly, she had only play a song; and Toxie who has worked and plotted for years felt cheated. 

Their Master had all but been enraptured by her and her music, nothing else impressing anymore. Not the number of humans she terrorizes ( she prefers to say 'toxifies') not the magnificent tail of hers that carried a deadly poison ( far far more useful than a musical instrument), not her stunning beauty that brought males to their knees( or was that the effect of her poison, huh?). Diyu had argued that none of this was her fault, Xandred had given her the title and well, it was too nice a title to take back.

It ended in a catfight. 

Diyu hadn't feared Toxie; she was still new though and hadn't really fought before as either monster or human and Toxie was far older and stronger; she was winning the fight. 

"You will not have a turn, you don't even know how to play...and even if you did my harmonium will respond to no one but ME!" 

Diyu takes an offensive stance and tries to charge at the Nighlock who stands waist deep in the Zanzu river only to buckle to her knees before she even reaches the shoreline. She wheezes, vision getting blurry. Toxie gives another of her girlish laughs, venemous stinger whipping like an eager puppy's tail. 

"Is that so? Well if I won't play it then neither will you" 

Diyu looks ahead, vision sharpening again, the way Toxie had said made her feel dread, and with her remaining strength she can only watch as Toxie lifts the harmonium, and like an axe, swing it toward a rock protruding from the murky waters. Diyu's panick becomes so urgent she couldn't breathe, and in her mind she screams. Her instrument, her harmonium, Dekkers gift, was morphed by evil as it's owner, made stronger but the rocks of the evil river where near indestructible, it would break. 

But it doesn't.

It doesn't even reach the rock. 

A hand is on Toxie, stopping her. This hand is large and armed, leading up to a bulky arm attached to an enormous muscle armour body belonging to master Xandred. He had come back from the human world, and neither female Nighlock's had been aware of his presence. The timing seems a little perfect, as if he had been called, sensed her desperation...but that seemed too unreal.

what happens next is a blur (not just because of her failing sight) it is a horrible succession of motions she can only be thankful didn't happen slow enough for her to catch details. Xandred tosses Toxie into the air, then jumps after her, holds the harmonium that she held with her flailing arm, then kicks and punches so hard Diyu hears the bones crack. Toxie tries to fight back, her stinger darting this part of him and that, but unable to penetrate the armour, it's nothing but an annoyance to Xandred and he takes it in a firm grip, twisting so the length coils along his thick arm then pulls at it like rope; that tail had been as much a part of Toxie as her limps and lungs, it's removal just as savage and unsavoury to watch, Toxie cries out as its ripped off her body; and then tosses it to wherever Rangers perish. Toxies screams echo in Diyu's ears then are cut off as xandrad crushes her throat, holding her up to the bloody sky even as she thrashes she is at his mercy. Or rather, unmercy. They are still in the air when Xandred throws Toxie back below, and he might have aimed it as Toxie lands right in the pointed edges of the very rock she meant to break the harmonium on, it goes through her chest, and that is the end of her. 

Diyu gasps and reels back when Xandred lands right infount of her, she falls on her side, his boots just level with her face, and she wishes the ground sink beneath her before he can crush her...but for some reason she didn't think he would, he had hurt Toxie though but he wouldn't hurt her. 

Master. 

She pleaded, over and over, the poison working her mind into a hysteric frenzy until she doesn't know anything but how to say that word. It is in this moment, where she is incoherent enough not to, that she could admit to needing him, to thanking him even. 

Minion. 

He says back, crunching to her level and she sees the harmonium in his hand. She wishes to touch it, but then someone pulls her to lie on her back, a white squid face hovering above her shouting something and pressing something into her mouth. But at this point she couldnt control her jaw, vision too blurry, and Xandred sounds so far away when he growls.

"You will play a song for me. You and only you." 

It is unrivalled then, unquestionabe and so absolute from his own mouth. And it would never be Toxie or anyone else, not even Octaru, it's HER.

**Author's Note:**

> This work is un-beta-ed and there may be mistakes I didn't catch while editing, I especially suck at tenses and apologize for all error which could make the story difficult to follow. Otherwise read and enjoy.
> 
> -OLIVIA


End file.
